Hat.



Patented Dec. 3|, |901.

A C A L D W E L L HAT. Y

(Application led Sept. 20, 1901 (N'o Model.)

ATTORNEYS nvVEmro/f BAA-@fw s o Q w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER CALDWELL, OF NEV YORK, Y.,ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EDWARD W.BILL, COMPRISING THE FIR OF BILL AND CALDWELL, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y.

' SPECIFICATION forming part 0f LetteiS Patent N0'. 690,230, datedDecember 31, 1901.

Application tiled September 20, 1901.l Serial No. 75,781. (No inodel Toall whom it may concern,.-

- Beit known that LALEXANDER CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hats, of which'thefollowing is a full and complete speciication, such as will enable thoseskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Thisinvention relates to hats, particularly to straw hats; and it has forits object to provide means for rendering an ordinary straw hat or anespecially-exible straw hat sufficientlystiff of brim and permanent ofangular contour,while not impairin g its general adaptability to thehead.

Theinvention is in general an improvement upon the straw hat patentedJune 25, 1901, No. 677,324, by Edward W. Bill and myself as assignees ofEdward Ferraby Walsh, which embodies a certain self-conforming straw hatwhich when placed upon thehead will adaptv itself to the contourthereof.

My present invention, which is much simpler in construction andpossesses advantages thereover, consists in the novel construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In vthe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich like letters of reference designate corresponding parts, Figure lis a central vertical section of a hat embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isla perspective view of a' portion of the hat with the upper layer of thebrim removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the stieningdevices removed, and Fig. 4 is an edge view or elevation thereof.

In the practice of my invention I construct a hat of plaited or otherstraw in the usual manner to form the crown A and the brim B. In thetype of hat shown in the drawings, to which my invention is chiefly andmost advantageously applicable, the brim is flat or horizontal and theupper surface of the crown lies upon a plane parallel with the brim.Usually such hats are stiffened by means of a sizing or likeapplication; but according to my present invention I only thus stiienthe upper portion of the crown of the hat, leaving the lower portion ofthe crown unstiffened, 'and the brim B, which is usually made of twoband-ribbon.

superposedlayers of plaited straw stiffened by sizing, I likewise leaveunstiffened.

Between the brim or upper layer B and the under layer B, -I securestiening devices O, embodying myl present invention. These stifeningdevices C have the form of polygonal plates of thin metal, preferablytriangular in form and formed with a peripheral border of perforationsD', through which they may be sewed to the under layer of the brim.

It is not essential, however, that the devices be thus secured, as theymay be fastened in any desired manner. By making the devices triangularthey may be retained in great measure by their ownshape, since inwardmovement thereof would be prevented by contact of their inclined edgeswith any of the usual threads which secure the two layers of the brimtogether.

Upon the point or inner end of the main body is secured or formed anlextension vor rod E, which projects upwardlyT from the inner edge orapex of the triangle at right an l gles thereto.

The length of the main body" or perpendicular of its triangle isapproximately equal to the width of the brim, and the extension or rod Elies in contact with the lower portion of the crown. Asshown in thedrawings, it is preferable to insert the point ot' theextension or rod Ethrough the straw of the crown, so that it extends practically through'the vertical center thereof. It is within the limits of my invention tohave the extensions located wholly on theinside of the crown to becovered by the sweat-band or to insert them through the brim upon theoutside of the crown to be covered by the usual The expedient shown ispreferred and' also operates to fix the devices in position and preventmovement thereof.v

After the stiffening devices have been se= cured between the two brimlayers and their extensions connected to the crown the hat is stiffenedupon the upper portion of its crown by the usual sizing and is blocked,trimmed, and finished.

Since the lower portion ofthe hat and the brim are unstiffened by theusual sizing, they will conform to the shape of the head of the wearer,permitting the hat to elongate or widen or conform to the exact contourdesired, according to the shape of the head,

yet in virtue of the metallic stiffening-pieces C and their extensions Ethe brim B will be stili and unbenda-ble, will not curl, warp,corrugate, or incline upwardly or downwardly from the horizontal, andthe lower portion of the crown, to which the extensions or rods aresecured, will =not bend inwardly or collapse, bulge, or protrude,notwithstanding its liexibility and conformability; but as thestifeningplates C are separate and individual the circumferentialpliabilityA ofthe brim is not impaired, and the slenderness of theextensions or rods preventsvtheir interfering with the flexibility ofthe crown, while the triangular shape of the strips E Vpermits thegreatest possible elongation or widening ot' the junction of crownandthe brim, which constitutes the area of pressure-contact of the hatupon the head in hats of this character,

land yet at the same time there is formed atv the outer circumference ofthe brim practically a continuous stiftening, preventing any portion ofthe brim from bending upwardly or downwardly.

Having thus fullyy described myinvention, what I claim as new, and,desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-e l. A straw hat provided with apluralityof separate vand vindependent stilening devices comprisingpolygonalv plates arranged laround and within the brim of the hat andhaving y their outer edges closely adjacent whereby to form a positiveand approximately con tinuous stiening for the bending of its edge.

2. A straw hat provided with a plurality of separate and independentstiening devices comprising polygonal. plates arranged around and withinthe brim of the hat and having their outer edges closely adjacentwhereby to form a positive and approximately continuous stiening for thebrim to p-revent bending of its edge, and provided withupwardlyprojecting extensions adapted to contact with the crown ot thehat.. I A

3. A straw hat provided with a plurality of separate and independentstiftening devices Vcomprising polygonal metallic plates arranged aroundand within the brim of the hat, and having their outer edges closelyadjacent whereby to form a positive and approximately continuousstilening for vthe brim to prevent bending of its edge, and providedwith upwardly-projecting extensions adapted to contact with the crown ofthe hat.

brim to prevent 4. A straw hat provided with a plurality of stideningdevices comprising fiat plates arranged around and within the brim ofthe hat with their outer edges substantially in contact, and relativelyslender or narrow vertical extensions projecting upwardly from the inneredges of the said plates and contacting with the crown of the hat. 5,V Astraw hat provided with a plurality of stilEening devices arrangedaround and within its brim and comprising plates widened at the outerendsand narrowing near the crown of the hat. s f

6. A straw hat provided with a plurality of stiening devices arrangedaround and within said brim and comprising dat polygonal plates of metalconnected at their outer ends and narrowing near the-crown of the hat,and rods secured' upon the upper faces of the said plates at their innerends.

. 7. A straw hat provided with a plurality of stiffening devicesarranged around and. within its brim and comprising plates widened atthe outer ends and narrowing near the crown of the hat and provided withnarrow extensions or :rods projecting at right angles thereto andsecured to the 'said crown.

8. A straw hat provided with a 'plurality of stifening devices arrangedaround and within its brim and comprising triangular plates disposedwiththeir apexes inwardly and provided thereat withupwardly-projecting'extensions to contact with the crown of the hat.

9. A straw hat having its brim and the lower portion of its crownunstiftened and. flexible and composed of superposed layers, and aplurality of stilening devices arranged around the said brim and betweenthe layers and secured thereto, and comprising iiat triangular metallicplates arranged with their widest ends at the outer periphery of thebrim and substantially in contact with one another, and provided attheir apexes with upwardly-directed relatively narrow extensions or rodsranging at right angles thereto and secured to the crown of the hat.

In testimony that'I claim the .foregoing as my invention I have signedmy name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 17th day ofSeptember, 1901.

ALEXANDER CALDWELL.

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